Report: “If we want to protect ourselves, apart from vaccination, we have no means”: sheep farmers helpless in the face of the bluetongue epidemic

Several breeders in Hauts-de-France have been able to start administering doses of vaccine to their sheep, in the hope of protecting them against this new catarrhal fever which is causing concern.

The new bluetongue is spreading in livestock farms in northern France. The first case of serotype 3, which arrived from the Netherlands and Belgium, was confirmed on August 5, and since then, there have been more than forty new outbreaks, according to the latest figures from the Ministry of Agriculture, published on Friday, August 16. This disease transmitted by midges, also called “blue tongue disease”, particularly affects sheep and can cause the death of ewes and rams.

To cope, the government has launched a voluntary vaccination campaign in a regulated area covering the north-eastern quarter of France. Since the week of August 12, 1.1 million doses have been made available to farmers free of charge, by ordering from their veterinarian.

With his sheep finally gathered in a corner of the meadow, Allan Briois vaccinates them, one by one, with a large syringe. Then a friend, who has come to help, gives them insecticide to kill the midges, which transmit the virus. “It took us about four hours to vaccinate the 250 sheep. If we want to protect ourselves, apart from vaccination, we have no means,” he observes.

Settled in Marenla, in Pas-de-Calais, Allan Briois fears this new form of catarrhal fever. “The mortality rate is high, we hear about 40% mortality with serotype 3. It’s huge. That would represent almost a hundred of my sheep, which would sink the farm, it would be impossible to rebuild the flock,” the breeder worries. “Every day, we go for a walk, to see the animals. We are always afraid of finding an affected sheep. The choice to vaccinate is to save the flock and be able to continue for years to come.”

“We don’t vaccinate these animals for fun. We would rather leave them alone.”

Allan Briois, sheep breeder

to franceinfo

The 26-year-old farmer will be more relaxed in three weeks, when his animals have developed their immunity. 80 km away, in Irles, in the Somme, Thierry Cartier is waiting for the test results of one of his sheep, which “didn’t have much of an appetite and had scabs on his muzzle,” one of the symptoms of catarrhal fever.

While waiting to find out, Thierry Cartier has just vaccinated his 500 animals. He welcomes the free vials, paid for by the State, but regrets a late campaign, according to him. “The virus has already been raging for several months, even since this winter in the Netherlands, so we should have reacted earlier and obtained a vaccine more quickly, not wait for the disease to arrive,” he laments.

“I heard that in the Netherlands they lost 36,000 sheep. That’s huge. That’s why you have to vaccinate. I think it should be mandatory, actually.” Thierry Cartier also hopes “that we can get a vaccine for the next season and avoid being caught off guard and doing it in a rush like we are doing now.”

These farmers are ready to vaccinate their herds again in the coming weeks, if necessary. They fear the other serotype of the disease, which is spreading in the south of France. A serotype that also affects cattle, but with less severity. The State is planning more than five million doses to also vaccinate cows in the regulated zone.